THE DON’S BRAND

It came out wrong… Or Right?

EMILIA

Back inside the club, heavy breathing could be heard.

30 seconds

Then 1 minutes

Everywhere silent down. The firing stopped.

A voice over the speaker. Calm.

DJ: " Security issue handled. Party continues in 2. Breathe, Chicago."

People started standing. Shaking.

Some ran. Some laughed it off like it was part of the show or maybe something they always experienced.

But Goddamn it... There's no f*****g way I was gonna stay here for another second.

" We're leaving Now." My voice came out shaking.

" yes. f**k yes." Vicky supported already on her heels.

We all grabbed their bags and rushed to the exits.

Past broken glass. Pass Security dragging bodies out the back.

No one was checking ID'S anymore.

We were almost at the door when_ Emily, my supposed sister who turned out to be an enemy blocked our part.

Emily hart, she had one perfect hair. Designer bag. Smirking like she'd been waiting.

" well, well . Look who it is." She said, arms crossed. Blocking the exit while her side kick laugh like a snub they are.

I froze.

" The good and disciplined daughter. Hart house's golden girl." Her eyes dragging down on my dress. " Now in the wild. Enjoying herself!"

" Emily, not now_" Vicky tried to step in.

" what was that? Defenders? Emily cut her off.

I think I should call Dad and Mom. Tell them where their precious Emilia spend her night."

She pulled out her phone.

For a second, my heart paused... let's say stopped for a moment.

Old me would've apologized. Cried. Begged.

But not tonight

Not after the gunshots

Not after a near death and f**k me we are still standing at the same location.

" Do it." I said voice steady, I didn't flinch. Not even for a beat.

Emily blinked.

" What?" Emily mouth was opened for a bit. She hoped she didn't hear we'll

" I said do it." I resorted back.

Call them

Tell them I was here

Tell them I f*****g danced in the club

I stepped around Emily.

" Because the only I care about right now is getting out of this place.

Vicky and Nora followed behind- fast.

Behind Me. Emily sputtered.

" You_ you can't talk to me like that. I'm your big sister."

I didn't turn around.

We walked a distance not too far when I called an Uber for our ride home

Outside, cold hit our faces.

Siren in the distance.

People were still running out, shaking, checking phones.

" Uber. Will be here in 3 minutes time." I announced to the girls.

Nora was t listening. Because across the parking lot, under the red neon sign,

CHRYSANTHEMUM was standing.

Her crush.

Black leather Jacket. Hair in a messy bun. And she was being held.

By ASHER. Her boyfriend.

Arm around her waist. Kissing her temple like he owned her which he does apparently.

Nora stopped walking.

" Nora? You coming?" Vicky nudged her.

She always knew that Chrysanthemum wasn't lesbian.

Knew it. Had always known it.

But part of her still longed for that.

For one look. One smile that wasn't for him_

For the version of Chrys in her head who would've chosen her.

" oh. Ohh. Is that her?" Vicky asked with a smirk as her eyes filled Nora's.

I looked over, then back at Nora " wait Chrysanthemum?"

Nora's cheeks went red

"Shut up. Both of you." Nora Cheeks we're burning hard and it was that moment that chrys eyes met her and chrys waved with a smile then got into the car with Asher.

" you've got it bad, N. The girl's got a boyfriend and you're still out here pinning?" Vicky bumps her shoulder while grinning widely.

" Vicky, be nice," I snort, then actually laughs.

" I am being the nicest! I'm saying at least Asher has a good taste." Vicky defended.

And just like that, we were laughing.

Real laughing.

The kind that forgets gunshots

The kinds that forgets Emily's threat from 5 minutes ago.

" okay. I'm done. Let's go before I do something embarrassing like wave." Nora said finally treating her eyes away.

" Come on. We'll find you a girl who's actually single, And made just for you." I said already linking arms with her.

" And not dating a guy named Asher. That name screams " I do CrossFit." Vicky added.

We cracked up again.

" Emilia Hart?" I heard someone call out to me

" Yes!" We all said. Walking towards the direction of the man who we supposed was the Uber driver we called.

CLONE

That was the moment I found them.

Under the red neon.

EMILIA. VICKY. NORA

Standing by the curb.

Getting into an Uber that had pulled up maybe some minutes ago.

Emilia's hair was messy.

Her white dress had a smudge on them.

But she was walking.

She was laughing with her BFF

She was okay, I was really surprised. Wasn't she shocked about what happened few minutes ago.

I stopped dead in the doorway.

The cold air hit me.

I breathed in.

Relief hit me hard while my knees almost give in.

" You found her?" Lucas was panting as he catches with me.

" Yeah." I muttered quickly.

Emilia is in the backseat now.

Window down. She wasn't looking my way.

Probably didn't see me in the crowd.

" Go talk to her, Man." Lucas said.

" I can't." I said not like I don't have the courage. My life is already a mess and I don't want her in such mess.

" God! She's literally 10 feet away!" Lucas was on the edge of punching Clone who didn't budge.

Clone shoved his hands in his pocket as the car drove away.

( IN THE UBER )

" Em... you okay?

After... you know. Emily." Vicky asked.

" I'm just tired of pretending of being scared."

Emilia said as she leaned her head on Nora's shoulder.

LEONARDO

The black Escalade sat half a block down from Velvet swallowed by shadows.

Tinted windows up. Engine dead.

In the backseat, Leonardo Moretti hadn't moved in twelve minutes.

The club was clean now. Rel was been transported by his men, bleeding obviously.El Diablo's men had scattered dead body scattered like rat.His men had handled it.

But He wasn't listening to any of that.

His gaze was fixed on the curb under the red neon.

Three girls stood there.

In the middle of them was her.

The girl he saw tonight

White dress. Bare back. Hair falling over her shoulders that still fall like rain.

She had been laughing. Head thrown back. Arm linked with her friend like the night hadn't just turned into a war zone ten feet from her.

Like he hadn't just said to himself that she belonged to him.

The Uber rolled to stop

She slid in without looking back. The door shut. The car turned the corner and vanished into Chicago traffic.

Only then did Leonardo blink.

" Pull the exit Cam," he said quietly.

Xander's fingers mover over the dashboard. The center screen flickered to life. Grainy black and white footage filed it. Two Minutes ago.

Emilia and her girls climbing into the Uber.

And two I feed from them. Half- hidden in the doorway, a finger in hoodie.

Still. Watching.

Phone raised like he was sending something.

Leonardo's jaw tightened.

" Not him," he said before Xander could ask.

" Her,"

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. The whiskey in his hand was still untouched, burning cold.

" I want everything. Full name . Address. School. Parents. Bank accounts. Who she answers to. Who she's been with."

A pause:

" Everything. Xander."

Xander glanced at him in the rear view. " that's a lot of digging for a girl from a club, Boos."

Leonardo didn't look away from the empty street.

" She's not a club girl."

The word landed like a verdict.

From the moment she'd walked into Velvet in that dress, laughing like the Moretti name meant nothing. Something in him had shifted. Ten years of control, and one girl in white had undone it.

She didn't belong to herself.

And he want about to let whosever was in that hoodie to claim her either.

" why was he looking at her like that?" Leonardo murmured more to himself than to Xander, like he was ready to bleed for her.

" Twenty-four hours," Xander said, already typing .

"Twelve," Leonardo corrected.

He set the glass down on the console. The ice clicked once.

The Escalade pulled away from the curb without a sound. Slow. Deliberate.

He didn't follow the Uber.

Because Leonardo Moretti didn't chase

He waited.

He watched.

He collected

And Emilia Hart had just been added to his list.